Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Wednesday 16 February 2000

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government that additional "agrimoney" compensation be paid to Scottish families this year, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre copies of such representations, and whether it will provide details of how much compensation will be paid.

Ross Finnie: The precise amounts of agrimonetary compensation available to UK milk producers as well as other agricultural sectors have yet to be determined. These will not be known until the European Commission publishes a regulation later this month. Payments must be made on a UK wide basis. I am therefore liaising liaison closely with other UK Agricultural Ministers and there is a clear understanding of the issues involved. I will inform the Parliament of the decision on payment at the appropriate time.

Children

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received a copy of the report from the North Wales Child Abuse Tribunal of Inquiry and what action it intends to take in respect of the Tribunal’s conclusions and recommendations.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive has received copies of the report, published on 15 February. Copies have been placed in SPICe. Copies of the report or of the Executive Summary, as appropriate, are being sent by the Scottish Executive to relevant statutory agencies including local authorities, the police and health bodies, and to other interested organisations including providers of residential care.

  The report examines evidence in respect of the behaviour of many individuals. This will be drawn to the attention of those to whom the report is circulated. The Scottish Executive will also be examining recommendations on policy and practice, taking into account action already being taken in response to Roger Kent's report on Children's Safeguards. In doing so, Scottish Ministers will liaise with the Government and with the Welsh Assembly and will set out conclusions after this. The Tribunal's report requires serious and considered attention.

Education

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in order to reduce the time taken for the completion of assessments for special educational needs.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Current Scottish Executive guidance to education authorities recommends that the assessment and recording process should not exceed six months.

Enterprise

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it has in the Information Society Initiative (ISI) and whether it will provide details of the number of programmes which have been launched in Scotland under the ISI Programme for Business and, in each case, at what cost.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is actively engaged in the application of the ISI in Scotland. Officials are in regular dialogue with the ISI team at the Department of Trade and Industry, and work to ensure that Scottish policy on related matters, such as the promotion of e-commerce, takes account of UK initiatives.

  The ISI is a UK-wide initiative, and consequently there have been no ISI programmes launched solely in Scotland.

  ISI Centres in Scotland have received almost £1.5 million in UK Government grant-aid. Total grant expenditure on the ISI Centre programme across the UK is about £10 million.

Enterprise

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in respect of each Information Society Initiative (ISI) Programme, whether it will state the activity level during the period May 1998 to December 1999 in terms of the numbers of (a) client throughput (organisations), (b) businesses assisted and (c) seminars/events delivered.

Henry McLeish: The ISI is a UK-wide initiative and statistics are not generally available on a territorial basis for individual ISI programmes. The ISI Centre programme is an exception, and the figures for the Scottish ISI Centres are as follows:

  May 1998 – December 1999

  (a) 14,620 client throughput (organisations)

  (b) 6,330 businesses assisted

  (c) 634 seminars/events delivered

  These figures represent activity levels of ISI Centres covering the Local Enterprise Company areas of Ayrshire, Borders, Dunbarton, Fife, Forth Valley, Glasgow, Grampian, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Tayside, as well as the Highlands and Islands, and Edinburgh. The ISI Centres covering Dumfries and Galloway and West Lothian were only opened in January 2000 and therefore are not included in the figures.

Environment

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency plans to designate the catchment areas of the rivers Eden and Eye in the Scottish Borders as nitrate vulnerable zones and, if so, what assistance or compensation is available for farmers to adapt their working practices to comply with such a designation.

Sarah Boyack: I announced last November that we are considering evidence from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency indicating elevated levels of nitrate in several water courses including the Eye Water and Eden Water in the Scottish Borders. Assessment of that evidence is not yet complete. Any proposals for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) will be the subject of public consultation.

  It is premature to provide details of any package of measures that might be available to assist farmers. However, the Scottish Executive provides funding through grant-in-aid to the Scottish Agricultural College for the production of some farm nutrient budget plans with the aim of promoting more efficient use of nitrate and reduction of leaching.

European Funding

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether organisations such as Care and Repair will be eligible to apply for European funding under the new structural funds plan.

Mr Jack McConnell: The eligibility of organisations to apply directly for European Structural Funds supports depends on a number of factors, including legal status, the terms of any memorandum and articles of association, the activities which the organisation normally engages in and the nature of the project itself. Potential applicants therefore have to be considered on an individual basis, and they should approach the Scottish Executive Development Department for more definitive guidance.

European Funding

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify what proportion of Objective 2 EU structural funds will be directed towards enhancing skills in local areas.

Mr Jack McConnell: The main source of European funding for skills training in local areas will be the Objective 3 Programme. In line with the terms of the EU Regulation, any additional assistance from the European Social Fund which could be contained within any Objective 2 Programme should be of sufficient size to justify its separate management and not amount to less than 5% of the total Structural Fund contribution. It is too early to detail exactly the level of funds which may be directed for the purpose since the plans for the Objective 2 area in West, East and South Scotland are still in preparation. I expect the Plan Teams to publish consultation drafts in the next few weeks.

Food

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to make nutrition a compulsory element of catering courses run by institutions funded by the Scottish Executive.

Henry McLeish: There are no plans to do so. Decisions regarding the content of individual courses are a matter for individual further education colleges, subject to the requirements of courses leading to particular qualifications.

  Full-time GSVQ and Higher National courses in Food Production and Professional Cookery include nutrition and menu planning. This is not a compulsory element of shorter, work-based courses in catering. As part of the new Scottish Group Awards in Hospitality, nutrition and healthy eating are mandatory components at intermediate level 1 and 2 and Higher.

Further Education

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to the Postgraduate Students’ Allowances Scheme for the coming academic year and each of the past five academic years.

Henry McLeish: The funding allocated to the Postgraduate Students’ Allowances Scheme for academic year 2000-01 and each of the past five academic years is set out in the table below:

  


 


1995-96

  £ 


1996-97

  £ 


1997-98

  £ 


1998-99

  £ 


1999-2000

  £ 


2000-01

  £ 




Allocated Funding 

  

17,291,000 

  

17,104,000 

  

18,807,000 

  

18,156,000 

  

18,182,000 

  

18,091,000 

  



  Reduction in expenditure from 1998-99 onwards is a result of Dearing policy changes in respect of funding for Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students. This resulted in PGCE students having non-means-tested tuition fees and no longer receiving maintenance grants.

Further Education

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown, by course type, of the funding paid out under the Post Graduate Students’ Allowances Scheme in each of the past five academic years.

Henry McLeish: The breakdown, by course type, of the funding paid out under the Postgraduate Students’ Allowances Scheme (PSAS) in each of the past five academic years is set out in the table below.

  


Course Type 

  

1994-95
£ 

  

1995-96
£ 

  

1996-97
£ 

  

1997-98
£ 

  

1998-99
£ 

  



PG Dip1 

  

9,384,260 

  

9,610,582 

  

11,021,976 

  

12,211,463 

  

13,917,279 

  



PGCE2 

  

5,600,051 

  

4,496,386 

  

4,187,298 

  

3,991,345 

  

2,681,033 

  



PGCert3 

  

130,031 

  

225,371 

  

325,806 

  

533,387 

  

583,338 

  



PGMA/MSC4 

  

595,174 

  

652,831 

  

573,075 

  

658,468 

  

759,400 

  



Other5 

  

641,754 

  

617,444 

  

644,421 

  

635,811 

  

316,923 

  



Total 

  

16,351,720 

  

15,602,614 

  

16,752,576 

  

18,030,474 

  

18,257,973 

  



  Notes:

  1. Postgraduate Diploma courses are one or two year vocational courses. This category includes an allocation of 300 places each year for the Diploma in Legal Practice. Although the cost of this course is not recorded separately, the cost for 1998-99 was about £1.6 million.

  2. PGCE courses are Postgraduate Certificates in Education (teacher training courses). This category of course attracted loan support in place of maintenance grant from 1998-99.

  3. The Postgraduate Certificate, a Certificate in Community Education.

  4. Under PSAS awards may be given for the Diploma element of Postgraduate Masters courses in Art and Science undertaken in England and Wales. A maximum of 150 awards are made each year.

  5. "Others" includes smaller numbers of courses such as Adult Education.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospitals charge car parking fees for patients and/or staff, and which these are.

Susan Deacon: Seven hospitals in Scotland currently charge car parking fees:

  


Aberdeen Royal Infirmary 

  



Edinburgh Royal Infirmary 

  



Glasgow Royal Infirmary 

  



Ninewells Hospital, Dundee 

  



Raigmore Hospital, Inverness 

  



Western Infirmary, Glasgow 

  



Western General, Edinburgh 

  



Yorkhill Hospital, Glasgow

Health

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the use of beta interferon in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Susan Deacon: In 1995, guidance about new drugs for multiple sclerosis and clinical advice from the Scottish Medical Advisory Committee was issued to all health boards. The guidance asked health boards, in consultation with other key interests, to develop and implement local arrangements to manage the entry of these drugs into the NHS.

  The guidance remains extant and its implementation is a matter for each health board.

Health

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration is being given to include biomedical scientists in the pay review body which deals with the salaries of other professions allied to medicine.

Susan Deacon: The issue of extended coverage of the Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine Pay Review Body (NPRB) is being considered in discussions on Agenda for Change: Modernising the NHS Pay System .

Justice

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Legal Aid Board has extended the pilot scheme which allows civil legal aid repayments to be made over two years.

Mr Jim Wallace: The pilot has not been extended as the results are still being analysed by Scottish Legal Aid Board.

Justice

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the results of the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s civil legal aid pilot scheme will be made available.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Board does not intend to publish a formal report of the results of the pilot. However, I would be happy to inform the Member of the conclusions from the pilot, when these are available. I will also ensure that information is made available to all MSPs.

Justice

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2917 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 December 1999, whether it will provide a breakdown of the subject matter of the 64 interdicts sought by women and the 16 interdicts sought by men which were refused after offer, and what the reasons were for refusal.

Mr Jim Wallace: Of the 80 applicants referred to in my previous answer, 12 women and eight men subsequently accepted legal aid, reducing the number of refusals after offer to 60.

  Complete information regarding these 60 cases is not available. However, the table below details the subject matter of the interdicts where legal aid was refused, in the 32 cases for which information is available:

  

 

Female 

  

Male 

  



Subject 

  

Pursuer 

  

Defender 

  

Pursuer 

  

Defender 

  



Non-molestation 

  

18 

  
 

1 

  

2 

  



Non-molestation & power of 

  arrest 

  

2 

  
 
 
 



Non-molestation & removal of 

  a child 

  

2 

  
 
 
 



Non-molestation & entering 

  the home 

  

1 

  
 
 
 



Removal of a child 

  

1 

  
 
 
 



Verbal abuse 

  

1 

  
 
 
 



Breach of interdict; assault 

  

1 

  
 
 
 



Breach of interdict; non-molestation 

  

1 

  
 
 
 



Legal aid granted in respect of 

  other matters; refused on merits vis a vis interdict 

  action 

  

1 

  
 
 
 



Wrongly recorded (Divorce action) 

  

1 

  
 
 
 



TOTAL 

  

29 

  
 

1 

  

2 

  



  An applicant is given 28 days within which to accept an offer of legal aid with a contribution. There is however no requirement on applicants to tell the Scottish Legal Aid Board of their decision to refuse an offer of legal aid or provide reasons for such refusal.

  In five of the 32 cases recorded above, the applicant’s solicitor informed the Board that the applicant could not afford the contribution assessed. Four of these five applicants were female. The Board received no communication in the remaining 27 cases.

Justice

Kate MacLean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for non-harassment orders have been lodged in the courts and how many of these resulted in an order being made.

Mr Jim Wallace: The table below sets out the information that is recorded on civil non-harassment orders. Information is available from January 1998.

  


Protection from 

  Harassment Act Applications 

  


 

1998 

  

1999 

  



Lodged 

  

148 

  

281 

  



Granted 

  

51 

  

77

Justice

Kate MacLean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria the Scottish Legal Aid Board use in reaching decisions on applications where a non-harassment order is being sought.

Mr Jim Wallace: In assessing whether or not to grant legal aid to applicants seeking a non-harassment order, the Board applies the statutory criteria which apply to all applications for civil legal aid. These are financial eligibility, probable cause and reasonableness.

Prison Service

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contractual arrangements are in place with North Lanarkshire Council for the provision of social work services at Longriggend Remand Centre, and what notice is required to be given to the council to terminate the contract.

Mr Jim Wallace: There is no contract with the Council for the provision of social work services at Longriggend Remand Centre.

Prison Service

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what notice has been given to North Lanarkshire Council of changes to the contract for provision of social work services at Longriggend Remand Centre.

Mr Jim Wallace: There is no contract with the Council for the provision of social work services at Longriggend Remand Centre. The Scottish Prison Service informed the Council on 21 October 1999 that Longriggend would close in April 2000.

Prison Service

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contractual arrangements exist between the Scottish Prison Service and North Lanarkshire Council for services other than social work services.

Mr Jim Wallace: None.

Prison Service

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to have any meetings with North Lanarkshire Council over the closure of Longriggend Remand Unit.

Mr Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Prison Service. The SPS has met with North Lanarkshire Council over the closure of the Unit and may have further meetings as necessary.

Prison Service

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the size and nature of financial provision set aside to cover the cost of terminating contracts with outside bodies following the closure of the remand centre at Longriggend.

Mr Jim Wallace: None, since the Scottish Prison Service have no such contracts.

Prison Service

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contractual arrangements between the Scottish Prison Service and other bodies have been prematurely terminated due to closure.

Mr Jim Wallace: None.

Signum Circuits

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made regarding the application by Signum Circuits, Selkirk for Regional Selective Assistance.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is at present considering a Regional Selective Assistance application from Signum Circuits. However no new awards of Regional Selective Assistance may be made until agreement has been reached with the European Commission on the detail of the new Assisted Areas map.

Tourism

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it has planned for the years 2001 to 2004 to increase visitor spending in Scotland.

Henry McLeish: Our proposals are set out in the new strategy for Scottish tourism which was published today.

Tourism

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it has taken since July 1999 to increase visitor spending in Scotland during 2000.

Henry McLeish: We have prepared a new strategy for Scottish tourism, which was published today.

Transport

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide updated information on the workings of the "Twenty is Plenty" experimental speed limit scheme set up in a number of areas from 1998.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is evaluating the effectiveness of the 20mph pilot projects implemented in a number of local authority areas throughout Scotland in 1998. The pilot projects are testing the effectiveness of 20mph schemes which do not include the use of relatively expensive engineering measures to force down the speed of traffic. The final results will be available in September and the final report will be published as soon as possible thereafter. It will be distributed to all local authorities in Scotland and other interested parties and copies will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Transport

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the results of the "Twenty is Plenty" limit in the Gorbals area and investigate the possibility of extending the 20mph speed limit throughout the Gorbals.

Sarah Boyack: I refer Ms Elder to the reply I gave her to question S1W-3820.

  Local authorities have power to introduce 20mph speed limits on local roads in their areas. It is, therefore, for Glasgow City Council to consider the introduction of a 20mph speed limit in the Gorbals.

Transport

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a Route Action Plan for the A68.

Sarah Boyack: Once the Route Action Plan has been finalised it will be published. The plan depends upon the construction and evaluation of a trial length of road improvement designed to give positive and unambiguous overtaking opportunities. The trial is being prepared to allow construction to start this autumn, subject to the availability of funds.

Travellers

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish an external working party to review the operation of government policy towards travelling people, as recommended by the Save the Children and the University of Dundee report Moving Targets .

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has no plans to set up an external working party. However, the Advisory Committee on Scotland's Travelling People is at present completing its end-of-term report in which it will be making recommendations to Scottish Ministers.

  The Committee has also been asked to make recommendations on how the interests of the Travelling People Community can be taken forward in the future. The report will be made available to the recently established Race Equality Advisory Forum (REAF), as previously agreed with Ministers.

Warm Deal

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown, by category, of the precise nature of the work which has been carried out in homes under the Warm Deal in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Warm Deal provides a package of insulation measures comprising cavity wall insulation, loft, cold tank and pipe insulation, hot tank insulation, draughtproofing, energy efficient lightbulbs and energy advice. All households benefiting from the Warm Deal will have received some or all of these measures.

Warm Deal

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of spending on the Warm Deal in the most recent period for which figures are available by (a) local authority area, (b) house type and (c) age of property.

Mr Frank McAveety: Expenditure by the local authorities taking part in the Warm Deal is set out in the table below. Eaga’s expenditure is not distributed by local authority area. Neither Eaga nor authorities supply the Executive with details of work by house type or age of property.

  


Council 

  

Spend to 31 December 

  1999 

  

Council 

  

Spend to 31 December 

  1999 

  



Aberdeen 

  

£63,077 

  

Inverclyde* 

  

£48,385 

  



Aberdeenshire 

  

£42,538 

  

Midlothian 

  

£50,000 

  



Angus 

  

£10,769 

  

Moray 

  

£51,153 

  



Argyll and Bute 

  

£29,229 

  

North Ayrshire 

  

£58,307 

  



Clackmannanshire 

  

£50,000 

  

North Lanarkshire 

  

£239,000 

  



Dumfries & Galloway 

  

£42,538 

  

Orkney 

  

£6,692 

  



Dundee City* 

  

£114,230 

  

Perth & Kinross** 

  

- 

  



East Ayrshire 

  

£73,230 

  

Renfrewshire 

  

£90,000 

  



East Dunbarton 

  

£36,308 

  

Scottish Borders 

  

£40,000 

  



East Lothian 

  

£70,000 

  

Shetland 

  

£10,460 

  



East Renfrewshire 

  

£26,462 

  

South Ayrshire 

  

£21,077 

  



Edinburgh 

  

£199,615 

  

South Lanarkshire 

  

£145,462 

  



Falkirk 

  

£109,231 

  

Stirling 

  

£22,922 

  



Fife 

  

£105,000 

  

West Dunbartonshire 

  

£69,232 

  



Glasgow City 

  

£380,845 

  

West Lothian 

  

£47,154 

  



Highland 

  

£39,078 

  

Western Isles* 

  

£12,538 

  


 
 

Total 

  

£2,304,532 

  



  * Expenditure is as at 30 September 1999.

  ** Not participating in the Warm Deal.

Warm Deal

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the average grant made to householders under the Warm Deal in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mr Frank McAveety: Eaga report that the average grant for the month ending 31 January 2000 was £312.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will arrange for Enric Miralles to provide a report to and answer questions from MSPs on the progress and costs of the Holyrood Project on his next visit to Edinburgh.

Sir David Steel: Not at present. The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is the formal client responsible for the project. We have issued three reports to MSPs and a fourth is in preparation and will be available at the end of the month. I am considering how best MSPs might question and comment on that report.

Holyrood

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will confirm that Queensberry House will not be demolished as part of the Holyrood Project and give a detailed account of what restoration, refurbishment and use is planned for the building, and the costs of this work.

Sir David Steel: I refer Ms MacDonald to my answer of 10 December 1999 to her question S1W-3026. The SPCB will shortly report to MSPs as appropriate about progress on the Holyrood Project including aspects of Queensberry House.

Holyrood

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many times the Royal Fine Art Commission has re-considered the plans for the Holyrood Project.

Sir David Steel: There has been a continuing dialogue between the Design Team and the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland, and one meeting with the SPCB, about the plans from initial concept through to detailed design. Further meetings will be held as required.

Holyrood

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer when the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body expects the Holyrood Project to be in a state of readiness for business and when it expects the Project to be finally completed.

Sir David Steel: We are awaiting the outcome of the Design Team’s feasibility work on our requirements for additional space. It would be inappropriate to speculate on expected completion dates until the result of this work is known. The SPCB’s Report to MSPs of 1 December 1999 stated the Body’s intention to report again to MSPs at an appropriate stage, and this will be done at the end of the month.

Holyrood

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer by how many weeks the making of concrete moulds and pouring of concrete foundations in the Holyrood Project are behind schedule.

Sir David Steel: The work package, which includes the fabrication of concrete moulds and pouring of concrete foundations, is 12 weeks in delay. This is primarily to prevent nugatory expenditure while the feasibility of meeting the Parliament’s extra accommodation requirements is being investigated.